Home Affairs Ministry Agencies Complement One Another, Not Operate In Isolation - Awang Alik

LABUAN, Oct 3 (Bernama) -- Agencies under the Home Affairs Ministry (KDN) should not be viewed as operating separately as their respective functions complement one another in safeguarding public well-being, security and effective government service delivery.

Home Affairs Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Awang Alik Jeman said the diversity of responsibilities undertaken by agencies under the ministry demonstrated the importance of cross-agency cooperation and an integrated approach.

“Each agency has its own role and area of expertise, but ultimately, these functions complement one another in ensuring the well-being and security of the country.

“We may come from different agencies and perform different functions, but we have the same objective to provide the best possible service for the people and the country,” he said at the Jelajah Wira MADANI Programme at the Labuan International School here today.

Awang Alik said responsibilities under the ministry covered a wide range of areas, including registration and identity documentation, immigration, security, enforcement, prisons, crime prevention and other public services.

He said effective service delivery could therefore not rely on one agency working alone, particularly when issues on the ground frequently required coordination involving different responsibilities, expertise and resources.

“The success of a programme such as Jelajah Wira MADANI cannot be achieved through the efforts of a single agency.

“It is the result of cross-agency cooperation that brings together the strengths, expertise and resources of various parties,” he said.

He said cooperation involving the ministry, the National Registration Department (JPN), Performance Acceleration Coordination Unit (PACU), Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), the Immigration Department, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), Labuan Correction Centre, and other participating agencies demonstrated that government agencies could operate as one team when pursuing a common objective.

According to him, an integrated approach also helps optimise available resources, avoid agencies working in silos, and make it easier for the public to access different services through a common platform.

Awang Alik said the Jelajah Wira MADANI also enabled the public to better understand the different roles and responsibilities carried out by agencies under the ministry.

He said bringing agencies together at ground level also enabled officers to directly understand public concerns, clarify issues, and obtain feedback that could subsequently be used to improve procedures and service delivery.

“The government should not merely wait for the people to come to its offices, and government agencies must also take the initiative to go to the ground, listen and understand the needs of the community,” he said.

He also said face-to-face engagement allowed questions to be addressed directly, misunderstandings to be clarified and feedback to be obtained more accurately.

Awang Alik expressed hope that cooperation among KDN, JPN, PACU, and other agencies would continue to be strengthened through future initiatives.

He added that the spirit of working as one government team was crucial in ensuring services remained accessible, responsive and centred on the needs of the people.

-- BERNAMA